Non-volatile memory devices that retain stored data in the absence of power are pervasively used in many electronic products. Unfortunately, many non-volatile memory devices have limitations that make them unsuitable for use as primary storage for these products including higher cost and lower performance when compared to volatile memory devices such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM). Examples of non-volatile memory devices include read-only memory (ROM), flash memory, ferroelectric random access memory (FRAM), resistive random access memory (RRAM), phase change memory, and the like.
RRAM, in particular, has recently gained development momentum. Many RRAM cells have high resistances that lead to low power write or program operations at the expense of low read speed. FIG. 1 is a diagram of an RRAM cell 100 comprising one transistor 102 and one resistor 104, hence the 1T-1R moniker commonly used to denote RRAM cell 100. RRAM cell 100 may have a low ON resistance (or low resistance state LRS), e.g., 1 MΩ, and a high OFF resistance (or high resistance state HRS), e.g., 10 MΩ. Such high ON and OFF resistances in a read path lead to low sense currents, e.g., from tens of nanoamps to hundreds of nanoamps, which, in turn, result in low read speed. Many applications executing on electronic products, however, require low read latency (i.e., fast read speed) and high read bandwidth. A need exists, therefore, for an improved memory device having a fast read speed.